Where does Nic Claxton stack up with the centers of the Central Division?
The Chicago Bulls head into next season with a new face manning the center position in 6-foot-11 big man Nic Claxton. For the Bulls, Claxton represents a clear upgrade at the position. There can be some debate as to whether he should start, as incumbent Jalen Smith does bring some varied and important skills on offense.
But Claxton--who has some familiarity with new Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter from their time together with the Brooklyn Nets, Splitter as an assistant coach--was likely brought in to start and bring some defensive acumen to the backline. The problem being, Claxton has saw his defensive rebound rate and block rate decrease the past two seasons.
Part of Claxton's decline is related to lingering back issues, and part of it came from playing for a woeful Nets team that won a combined 46 games over the past two seasons.
I believe Claxton is due for a reasonable bounce back season. He will have a lot to prove in an environment that could certainly use a productive center. That being said, it will be tough sledding on a nightly basis for Claxton in a Central Division that is quite strong at the center position on paper. We take a look at how Chicago's center stacks up to the rest of the division.
1. Jalen Duren - stats vs CHI in '25-'26: 20.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.0 BPG, 1.0 SPG
2. Jarrett Allen - stats vs CHI in '25-'26: 13.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 1.3 SPG
3. Myles Turner - stats vs CHI in '25-'26: 14.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 52.4% from 3-pt range
4. Ivica Zubac - stats vs CHI in '25-'26: 12 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 41.7% FG (1 game)
5. Nic Claxton - stats vs CHI in '25-'26: 15.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.5 SPG
Bold indicates player made All-NBA team.
As of now, Jalen Duren is the clear-cut top center in the Central Division, assuming he stays put. The offseason has been an interesting one for Duren, who can't seem to come with an agreement with the Detroit Pistons on a new deal. Duren made the All-NBA Third Team following a great regular season for the 60-win Pistons.
I stress regular season because Duren had one of the greatest drop-offs in terms of production from regular season to the postseason in NBA history.
A big part of Duren's postseason struggles was Jarrett Allen. The Cleveland Cavaliers center averaged a modest 14.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 1.4 BPG over the first round series against Detroit, but he limited Duren heavily.
Over a 7-game series, Duren averaged 9.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 1.1 BPG as the Cavs moved on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Allen is similar to Zubac, who I ranked 4th in the division. Both Allen and Zubac have the traditional big man skills--rugged rebounding, rim protection--and possess enough quickness to corral smaller players in pick-and-roll coverage. Allen has less responsibility on offense because of the presence of Evan Mobley in Cleveland. This played a big part in Allen shooting 65.4% in three games vs. the Bulls.
Long-time Bulls rival Myles Turner rounds out the top-3 centers in the Central Division following another season in which he successfully spaced the floor on offense. Turner shot 38.3% from 3-point range on 5.4 attempts per game. His defense took a step back but he still finished with 1.6 BPG. The 3-point element alone lifted him over Zubac in our rankings.
Zubac had an injury-riddled season that saw him traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Pacers. He's one of the most effective two-way, non-All-Star bigs in the NBA. He only played five games with the Pacers before he season was shutdown due to a fractured rib.
Claxton has the chance to play himself into the top-three of the list quite easily. Turner will be on a rebuilding Bucks team, and Zubac will still be getting back to 100% health. If Claxton meshes with his new teammates right out of the gate, his playmaking prowess and overall effort level can and will shine.
Claxton averaged a career-best 3.7 APG last season. His passing was underdiscussed last season because of his defensive falloff and his team's porous record. A Bulls team that has all the makings of an entertaining and unselfish squad will provide the perfect vehicle for Claxton to showcase his skillset.
